Episode

In this Say Yes to Holiness podcast conversation, Christina has a conversation with Leah Jacobson. She discusses her journey and the new program she is managing called Catholic Women's and Gender Studies. She shares how her upbringing on a dairy farm and how her Catholic faith shaped her understanding of the natural order and the importance of women's bodies. Leah also talks about her experience in college, where she realized the differences in perspectives on gender and women's rights which led her to question the mainstream feminist movement and advocate for a Catholic feminism that aligns with the teachings of the Church.

Leah founded the Guiding Star Project, a nonprofit that focuses on holistic women's health and supports women's bodies. She then explains the new Master's program in Catholic Women's and Gender Studies at the University of St. Thomas, Houston, which aims to provide a Christian anthropology and worldview in the study of gender and sexuality.

The program is divided into four certificates: Catholic feminism, women's health and wellness, gender and family policy, and sexuality and gender. Leah hopes that graduates of the program will be able to speak truthfully and charitably about women's issues and contribute to the restoration of the natural order in society.

Takeaways
Leah Jacobson's upbringing on a dairy farm and her Catholic faith shaped her understanding of the natural order and the importance of women's bodies.

She questioned the mainstream feminist movement and advocated for a Catholic feminism that aligns with the teachings of the Church.

Leah founded the Guiding Star Project, a nonprofit that focuses on holistic women's health and supports women's bodies.

The master's program in Catholics, Women's, and Gender Studies at the University of St. Thomas provides a Christian anthropology and worldview in the study of gender and sexuality.

Sound Bites

"I never understood how women should take all of this onto ourselves and sort of excuse men from the conversation."
"Misogyny is the alteration and the suppression and the destruction of a female body."
"The effects that it's having are so detrimental on our daughters' generations, on all of us. It's destroying our identity as women."

Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
03:41 Questioning the Mainstream Feminist Movement
08:55 Advocating for Catholic Feminism
12:47 The Guiding Star Project: Supporting Holistic Women's Health
16:35 The Master's Program in Catholics, Women's, and Gender Studies
25:42 The Rewards and Challenges of the Work
28:37 Finding Grounding in Nature
29:33 Advice to Her 18-Year-Old Self
31:27 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

To learn more about the Master's in Catholic Women's & Gender Studies, go to: ⁠www.catholicgenderstudies.com⁠

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